Spring suspension of vehicles.



W. H. EDMUNDS.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES. APPucATloN man MAR. 25. 1914.

1,263,388. Patented pr. 23, I9l& h

W. H. EDMUNDS.

sramc susPsNsmN ro vemcLEs.

APPLICATION FILED MMI. 25| I9I4- Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HovEY EnMUNns, or' Lnizsnune, VIRGINIA i SPRING SUSPENSION Fon. vnHIcLEs.

To all 'whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HovnY En- MUNDs, a citizen of the United States, residin at Leesburg, in the county of Loudoun and tate of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Suspensions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to improvements in spring suspension for vehicles, the novel and characteristic feature of which is the provision of adjusting means whereby the resiliency or sprmg resistance of the same may be regulated according to the extent of the load carried thereby.

It is undoubtedly recognized at this date that vehicles in general, and motor vehicles in particular, must be provided with a spring suspension which will serve the purpose of absorbing shocks of the road when the maximum weight is carried by said vehicle and to accomplish which the springs .are necessarily made extremely strong so as to carry smoothly said maximum weight imposed upon them, but the great disadvantage in such constructions is that under a light load these springs perform very little resilient function, causing hard riding motion incident to the transfer of the vibrations and shocks to the vehicle body and contents.

Now what I particularly aim to accomplish by my invention, is a resiliency of action of the suspension which may be easily andquickly adjusted so that with either a maximum or minimum weight, and variations therebetween, allvshocks may readily be compensated for.

More specifically, my invention contemplates the employment of a supporting member intermediate the axle and the vehicle frame and tensioning means for placing said supporting member under tension, and means readily accessible from the vehicle body for adjusting the tensioning means to equalize the torsional resistance of said tensioning means at each side of the vehicle body, whereby to increase or decrease the spring resistance according to the weight Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March v25, 1914. Serial No. 827,191.

y Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a motor vehic e showing vention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device,- a portion of the bearing casingy being broken away to show interior details. Flg. 3 is a sectionalfview on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but disclosing a modified construction of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken about on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Throughout the following detail description, and on the several figures of the drawin s, similar parts are referred to by like re erence characters. p

It will be apparent as this description proceeds that the suspension means com rehended thereby may readily be ada te to any style of vehicle, but as illustrate in the drawings I have shown such means arranged upon a motor vehicle, such-Vehicle being indicated by dotted lines in order to bring out more clearly the details of construction of the device. The numeral l indicates the vehicle body, 2 the side frame members therefor and 3 the rear axle of the running gear. At a suitable point near the rear extremities of the side members 2 of the vehicle frame is journaled at each side a supporting member, in the form .of a bar which comprises the longitudinally extending sid'e arm 4 and a transverse portion 5, secured to its ,respective side bar 2 by means of the journal cap 6, the transverse portion 5 of the bar beingbent at substantially right angles to the lever arm 4 just mentioned. The outer or rear extremity of the side arm the adaptation of my inried by the 4 is bent downwardly as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 and secured to the shackle 7 carrear extremity of a semi-elliptical spring 8 connected to the rear axle of the -vehicle in the usual cured to the Ivehicle frame or body atv its forward extremity as indicated at 9. r1`he inner end of the transverse portion of the supporting bar or member is journaled in a rotatable member 1Q which membery comprises a' worm gear 11 andl laterally projecting bearing drums 12 extending from each sideof the same, the 'rotatable member being supported in a bearing '13, shown most clearly in Fig. 3, which extends longtudinally ofthe vehicle frame and is sel cured to thespaced transverseframe'memfor the same.,

inferred hereinbefore,

ltatable member 10 as shown c bers.1415. 'llhe bearing 13 has. a removable cap 13a providing acomplete housin for the parts and prevents access of dust t ere,- to as wellas enabling .the vuse of lubricant preferably of a smaller diameter than the Worm gear 11` and eachv is provided. with roller-.bearings 16.to the member 10 in an obvious manner. As n a second supporting member exactly like that described (4, 5) is disposed at the opposite si and comprises the lever arm y4', and the transverse portion 5 extendin into the roearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Mounted upon, or surrounding the respective transverse portions 5 and 5 of each supporting member are torsion springs 17 and 17 one end, tlie inner, of each torsion spring being secured tothe member 10 which is disposed intermediate said springs while the opposite end is connected to a short lever arm 18, 18 formed integral withthe respective transverse portions 5 and 5 of each supporting member.

As will be obvious, tension of the sparate springs 17 and 17 will be imparte to the respective lever arms 4 and 4 and the vehicle suspended in this manner. lt is particularly advantageous to employ the semielliptical spring 8 in conjunction with the respective supporting members though it is comprehended by supporting members may be secured to the axle in any other suitable manner so as to suspend the vehicle 1oody upon the said axle -and afford the usual'resilient action.

lntermeshing with a worm 19 on the vertically disposed operating rod 20 terminating at its upper extremity in a crank 21, this operating rod as shown in Fig. 1 being arranged at a convenient point at the rear portion of the vehicle where it may be suitably housed beneath the rear seat or other convenient point of acce s.

s It will be apparent from the foregoing manner and also sei decreased number of A resistance not rlhe bearing .drumsl12' are j facilitate rotation .of

de of thev vehicle,

my invention that the.

the worm gear 11 is` Lacasse description that rotation of the o erating rod 2O by means of the crank 21 will cause the increase or decrease of the tension of each spring 17 and 17 due to rotation of the member 10 and such depending of course upon the direction in which th'e operating member 20 is turned. By means of this adjusting mechanism consisting of the rotatable member 10, the worm 19 and the operating rod 20, a wide range of adjustment may be procured and the springs 17 and 17 may thereby be provided with an increased or convolutions, all de! pending upon'the weight which is to be carried by the vehicle. When the weight is considerable, or maximum, vby operation of the adjusting means the torsion of the` springs may be greatly increased so aslto bear the Weight imposedupon the body and ,cause easy riding of the vehicle. Such torsional A being desirable when the vehicle is lightlyloaded or without load, operation of said 'adjusting means to decrease l the tension is readily -accomplished in a manner hereinbefore described, and the particularly advantageous featureof the adjusting means is thatthe adjustment is perj formed at each side of the vehicle simultaneously, insuring a proper equalization of the tension. upon the torsion springs 17 Aand 17. 0f course it wouldbe possible to obtain an independent adjustment of Jthese springs by individual manipulation of the extremities which cooperate 'with the short lever arms 18 and 18 but this under ordinary conditions would not b e necessary.

l preferably employ abutments 22 located at each side ofthe vehicle frame, and disposed upon the side members 2 thereof which are adapted to coperate with the side arms 4 and 4 of thel supporting members so as to limit their movement and necessarily the rebounding of the vehicle body` under. abnormal conditions.

The arrangement hereinbefore described 11o is employed where space availablefor the structure is sucient but it will be clearly apparent that Where necessary or desirable a di'erent arrangement may be employed and embodying instead of the single worm 115 gear and worm for adjusting the tension, two worm gears andworms mounted freely upon their respective shafts after a manner illustrated in Figs. 4 5 and 6 of the draw-I ings. 1n this modification of my invention 120 I provide supporting members 4a, 5a connected to the vehicle axle and the frame exactly as described with respect to the preferred form. The transverse portions 4b, and 5b of the supporting members, however, 125 have freely mounted thereupon adjacent their bearing on the frame, worm gears 23` and 24 respectively. rlhe torsion springs 17, 17 are connected at one 'end to the worm gears and at their opposite end-to short le- 130 4 are beveled vpinions 29,

ver arms 18, 18" somewhat similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Intermeshing with each worm gear 23, 24 is a coperating worm 25, 26 suitably suppprted in brackets 27, 28 on the side memrs 2 of the vehicle frame and connected to the worm shafts at their upper extremities 30. A transverse shaft 31 suitably supported on the vehicle frame in a central bearing 32 carries at its opposite extremities beveled pinions 33, 34 intermeshing with the pinions 29 and 30 respectively., An operatmg lever 35 is connected -to the shaft 31 through a rpversible ratchet 36 and movement of this'lever backwardly and forwardly will cause the shaft 31 Qto rotate and transmit motion through the worms 25, 26 to the worm gears 23 and 24, the rotation of ,whichvv latter gears increases or decreases the tension of the torsion springs 17, 17 according to which direction the shaft 31 is rotated. The reversi: ble ratchet 36 enables this adjustment to be made in a manner to either increase or decrease the tension as just described and the modification of my invention accomplishes the same result "of simultaneous adjustment, of the supporting members for the vehiclehereinbefore clearly set forthD Having thus described my invention, what I claim as' new is:

1. In a spring suspension for automobiles,

v the combination with a frame and axle, of

a movable supporting member for said frame operatively connected to the4 axle, said member having'v portions thereof arranged contiguous to and in the plane of the frame for coperation therewith to provide a laterally rigid support whereby to prevent relative'V sidewisemovement, and resilient means coacting with the supporting member for resiliently sustaining the frame aforesaid.

2. In a spring suspension for automobiles, the combination with a frame and axle, of a supporting member journaled on said frame and operatively connected tothe axle, said member having arm extensions arranged at opposite sides of the frame in the same horizontal plane with respect thereto', said arms coacting with the sides vof the frame to prevent relative sidewise movement, resilient means carried by said supporting member for resiliently sustaining the frame on the axle, and means for 'adjusting said resilient means to increase or decrease the resiliency.

3. In a vehicle suspension for automobiles, the combination with a frame, an axle and main springs therefor, of supporting arms each pivotally connected to the frame at one end an"d to a main spring at the other end, said arms being vertically movable at opposite sides ofthe frame, the sides of said frame coacting therewith to prevent lateral -relative movement, and adjustable means for -jeurnaled Vin spaced by prevent' lateralY movement y"imparting tension to said arms whereby to axle, and

suspension according 39,

5. In a spring suspensionl for automobiles,

the combination with ber; arranged transversely of the frame and the respective armsv aforesaid are disposed so as to maintain said arms in coperative relation with respect to the frame and thereof the latter, said supportand tension means carried by aforesaid,

a frame axle, and. main springs therefor, of a supporting meme relation tothe end of' s said frame, said supporting member havingl ing; member for resiliently supporting the f frame..

6.. In a. spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a frame or bodyand axle therefor, at each side of the vehicle, each supporting member having a longitudinally extending lever arm connected to the axle and a transverse arm vehicle frame,

each arm, means for winding the torsion spring about said arm and disposed intermediate said springs, .said transverse portions of the supporting members being journaled in said winding ried by the 'vehicle frame in which said winding means is mounted and an operating member for rotating l said Winding means whereby at each side of the vehicle equally.

7. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a frame or body and axle therefor, of a supporting member disposed at each side of the vehicle, each supporting member having a longitudinally extending lever arm connected to the axle anda transverse arm journaled at one end upon the vehicle frame, a torsion spring disposed upon the transverse portion aforesaid of each arm, a rotatable member di osed intermediate the springs and in w ich the inner extremitiesof the transverse portions to adjust the torsional resistance of a supporting member'disposed v journaled a t one end upon the a torsion spring disposed `upon -the transverse portion aforesaid of means, .a bearing carsae of the supporting members are journaled, said rotatable member comprising a Worm `ear and bearing extensions formed at each side of said gear, a bearing in which said rotatable member is journaled, an operating rod disposed adjacent the rotatable member and having a Worm intermeshing with the worm gear aforesaid7 and a crank for rotatmeaeee ing the operating rod to adjust the tension of the torsion springs. l0 In testimon whereof ll ax my signature in lpresence o two Witnesses.

WlllLLllAM HVEY EDMUNDS. Witnesses:

ALBERT BLUME, Jr., ROBE. A.. MEYER. 

